Sand dredge and cleaning system



Aug, 13, 1935. H. A. BRUCE SAND DREDGE AND CLEANING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l llllllllllillllll Aug. 13, 1935. H. A. BRUCE SAND DREDGE AND CLEANING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 13, 1935 This invention relates to sand dredging opera- ..tions a ndhas for an important object thereof the j,-pr,ov ision of a meansanda system for dredging .,;.-toa.gre ater depth and producing cleaner sand in Another object of thisinvention is provide 1 1a means whereby a smaller suction pipe can be .used in. the dredging operation. and asmaller I -pump and motor used but atthe same time,the 1.10 r rpduction of the dredge increased. and themaii terialforced through a greater length of pipe ythan is possible withthe' types of apparatus at present available. I I q I A further object of. this inventionis'to provide .;a.-means whereby the sand, after being taken off of the bottom of the river or other location, will be initially. washed by clean waterso that when .the material is-transferredto the pump and from thence to the tipple, the sand willbe more clean than, is possible with apparatus at present availab -F. 1 1 H g I @Astillfurtherobject of this invention-is to provide; a dredging system whichwill increasethe capacityof the dredging operation and which has 25 .arelatively short suction pipe, thereby permitting 'the use of a smaller pump and asmaller motor; for operating the pump.

Astill further object of this invention is to providef a dredging means of uthis't'ype wherein D th'e idepthofl the dredging operationwill not be limited tol the length of the suction pipe and wherein the dredging operation will not be.

clogged'up;by relatively large pieces of material requirinfgfthe frequent stoppage of the dredging i35 operation-f Stillanother object of this invention is topro-.

lo wing detailedfdescriptionof the present pre- .ferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in/ ltheacc'ompanying drawings whereinga V Figur'el is a detail side'elevation partly in section of a; device constructed according to the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device. Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts 55 throughout the views, the numeral l designates Q Supporting ill r P t 3 m 'e 'iii ie. "lower end by means of "supporting posts 32 A s i s j 7 (5" .qwUNI r PATENT QF J .1. TTTT I I 2,010,843 f ]f H 1. I SAND DREDGE AND CLE NINGsYSTEMP m y Harry A. Bruce, Kansas citi'Kan s. 'r H App ication February 27, 1934,seria1 No. 713,189 p t; V p 4 Claims. (o1. 262-2) I I I. 0:

generally a bargeorbuoyant body oi-suitable configuration whichhas "pivotally mounted thereon a post I I held in a vertical'positionby bracing members I3 secured atone end 'tothe top of the post I I and at theother end'tothe 8 barge or.'floating body Ill/at the opposite sides and adjacent the rear. A boom I2 is swing'ably secured at its lower end to the swingingpos't and a hoisting cable I4 is trainedover a lower sheaveIS and an uppersheave=IB mountedjbn 10 the post or upright I I.

A sheave or grooved pulley I I carried by the upper or outer end of "the boom I2 fand the cable I4 is trained over this grooved pulley or sheave I! and has secured" to "an end thereof a 18 grab bucket I8 of suitable construction; "I he cable I6 is connected to a winch or hoist member I9 mounted on the deck of the barge m "at one side of the crane structure including thepost I I and the boom I2, and. the winch I9is operated 20 by means of'a motor or power member 20-. The winch I9 and the power member20 are here shown only diagrammatically as any--suitable cable operating means may be usedto rais'e and lower the bucket l8 i A sand hopper orreceiver, generally designated as 2|, is mounted at one side of the barge lfl be- I ing held in outstanding relation to the'barge '10 by means of beams .22 and 23. The-hopperor receiver 2| is constructed in substantiallypy'rame idal form and is inverted with the i apexj'thereof downwardly. The receiver 2I is secured'to the .beams 22 and 23 by means of brackets or attaching members and 25, respectively. These attaching members '24, and- '25 are constructed {of .35 strap iron or the like. [The hODDerFZI- is open at the top and in the front wall26 thereof, there ,is provided anopening 2'Iwhichissubstantially on the water line. 'The rear wall 2Bof thejh'opper or receiver is also provided with ajdis charge 0 opening 29 alining with the intake opening 27 so that clean or clear water may f reely enter the intake opening 21 and washoutfithe floating dirt or material includingthe dirty water throngh the discharge opening 29. b s

A screen member 30 is supported on the beams 22 and 23 in a position'inclined to the horizontal with the highest end foremost. The screen i nfis supported at its highest or front end by means shield or extension 33 is carried by the screen 30, which extends beyond the upper ends of the posts 3| and is braced as by a bracing member 34so' that the material discharged from the bucket I8 ill will not drop back into the water. The screen has upstanding sides and at the bottom of the screen, there is provided a chute 36 which converges rearwardly and discharges into a rearwardly' extending and downwardly inclined waste trough 31 supported by brackets or beams 38 which engage the barge l B.

A suction pipe, generally designated as 39, is provided with an intake pipe member 40 connected xto a pi e Al .by means of an elbow 42. This pipe 40 is open at :its lowerend and extends downwardly in the direction of the apex orbottom of the receiver 2|. The lower end of the suction pipe member 40 is below the openings 21 and 29 in the receiver 24. I The pipe'rlil. is con-- nected to a suction pump 43 which is operated by a shaft 44 connected to a motor or power member 45. The suction pump 43 is of conventional construction and the material drawn out of the hopper or receiver 2| by the pump 43 is transferred 1.01 illorced finto-,a discharge pipe 46:which may be extended for :anyrsuitable length and the material therein'discharged into a tipple or other suitable receiver remote from the barge Hi.

;-In the use :a-nd :operation of the device herein- .beiore (described, the barge '60 is moved to the location and. the motor or power member zfliset in operation so as to lower the grab bucket 8 to the bedsof the stream. It will be apparent frqrrnthe foregoing that when the grab bucket 58 is lowered, the bucket can be lowered to any suitwalble depth, being limited only \byrthe length of the cable 14. In raising the filled-bucket 18 in the water}, the top dirt will wash off before the bucket is lifted out of the water. The bucket 18 is then raised ,above the screen .38 and discharged.

The {apron or shield 3-3 will prevent the material .pfirom dropping back into the stream and the maanateri-al sliding down the screen and into the 'mastetrough 31, I

When the sand and gravel of desired size is dis- .charged into the hopper .or receiver 21, it will be discharged. into the water which is constantly in this hopper 2 I and as the dredging operation is performed in a flowing stream, the water will flow through the openings 2.? and 29, and any dirty water or floating material will be washed out of the hopperso that it will not enter the suction pipe-4Q. Due to the fact that .thescreen 3t cleans .outtherocks, logsand other undesired material bet-one this material enters the hopper or receiver 21 the pipe line-39 will not be clogged up and this pipe line 33 can, therefore, be asmaller pipe line than is possible where provision .mustlbe :made to prevent relatively large objects.fromclogging-the intake end of the suction line, V

, With the use of the device hereinbefore de- ,-$6li-bed, it is possibleito maintain a continuous pperation, thereby increasing the quantity of material removed from the bed of the stream and, in addition thereto, the depth from which the material isremovedis not limited by, boththe length of the suction pipe andthe power of the -,pump, as is the case in ,dredges at present available. The depth of the dredging'operation in the present instance is limited only by thelehgth of the cable l4. It will also be apparent from the tion of the hopper.

- -ceiver, a screen, means for supporting the screen in an inclined position above the receiver, means for discharging material onto the screen, means for carrying away the oversize material and discharging said material remote from the receiver, and suction means .for removing the material from the receiver.

'2. A dredging means as set forth comprising a barge, :a hopper, means for supporting the hopper at one sided the barge in partly submerged'p'osi- -Ition in the water, said hopper having intake and outlet openings intermediate the top and Ebo'ttom N thereof to permit the water of the stream in which the barge is' positioned to freely flow 'therethrough,

'a screen, means for supporting the screen in an inclined position above the hopper, a grab bucket 'operatingmeans carried by the barge, means for carrying-elf the'oversize material and discharging said material remote from the hopper, 'a suction pipe'for withdrawing the material in the hopper below the openings thereof, and a suction pump *c'onnected to the suction pipe. 3. A dredging means as set forth comprising a barge, a hopper, means for supporting the hopper atone side of the barge, said hopper having water intake and outlet openings intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof to permit the water of the stream to flow freely therethrough at the water level, a screen, means for supporting the screen above the hopper, a grab bucket for discharging material onto the screen, and operating mea-nsfor said grabbucke't, means for carrying off oversize material and discharging said over-- size material remote from the hopper, a suction pipe opening into the lower portion of the hopper, and a suction pump" connected, to the pipe.

' 4, A dredging means as set forth comprisinga barge, ahopper mounted on one side of the barge in a partlysubmerged position, said hopper having intake and outlet openings in opposite walls to permit the free passage of water therethrough at substantially the level of the water in which the barge is positioned, said hopper having downwardly. converging walls, a screen, means for supportingthescreenabove the hopper in an upwardly and forwardly inclined position, an apron car- HARRY ,A'. BRUCE. 

